Using OneDrive for user documents location - plugin issues

[Echoes in the Attic]

I recently bought a new surface pro 9 and was surprised that the default user documents folder was set to my onedrive documents. At first I changed it in backup settings but then I realized that actually that would be great to share the documents folder with my main computer as many plugin settings, as well as bitwig settings and projects are stored there and those could stay synced between the two computers, which would be handy for presets etc. Many plugins and audio apps use the user documents as the default place to put a bunch of settings though and can't always be changed if the files shouldn't be shared.

So I gave it a try and set both computers to use onedrive documents, ran the necessary updates and a few reinstalls.

Most things are working well except for a few issues such as:
Xln audio keeps giving me an error that it's an invalid computer ID whenever it rescan after reauthorization the other. It fixes itself when I open the xln installer but then the other one breaks on the other computer. I guess it stores the computer I'd for authorization in the user documents folder and I can't see a way to use a different location for that stuff. Similarly I get errors sometimes from native access about a pal file which keeps creating new ones, butndoesnt seem to break anything. Although I am seeing weirdness in terms of some missing images and previews, but it seems random.

Seems dumb to use a user folder instead of something in program files or appdata for any kind of computer specific app data.

Anyone else use a onedrive documents as their main user docs and share between computers? Wondering if itncan be successful. The xln audio thing might be a deal breaker for this.

[chk071]

Seems dumb to use a user folder instead of something in program files or appdata for any kind of computer specific app data.

I don't think it's dumb. It's rather not the best strategy to sync that folder with other computers. If anything, I would see OneDrive as a backup, not anything which should sync folders where programs store setting files over several computers.

So, no offense, but, I simply think you are doing the wrong thing. I get it, it's comfortable, but, as you can see, it can be problematic.

[whyterabbyt]

Seems dumb to use a user folder instead of something in program files or appdata for any kind of computer specific app data.

I don't think it's dumb. It's rather not the best strategy to sync that folder with other computers. If anything, I would see OneDrive as a backup, not anything which should sync folders where programs store setting files over several computers.

Given that OD is used at enterprise level for this specific thing, where users' settings are consistent across any system they use, that's incorrect, its exactly for syncing folders and settings over several computers.

XLN Audio's approach is more likely to be the problem. I recall they have had a remarkably awkward set of constraints on their plugins; you had to have all their plugins in the same folder and if you move any of them, they stop working, if you changed the plugin path in the installer, all the plugins get moved.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Seems dumb to use a user folder instead of something in program files or appdata for any kind of computer specific app data.

I don't think it's dumb. It's rather not the best strategy to sync that folder with other computers. If anything, I would see OneDrive as a backup, not anything which should sync folders where programs store setting files over several computers.

Given that OD is used at enterprise level for this specific thing, where users' settings are consistent across any system they use, that's incorrect, its exactly for syncing folders and settings over several computers.

XLN Audio's approach is more likely to be the problem. I recall they have had a remarkably awkward set of constraints on their plugins; you had to have all their plugins in the same folder and if you move any of them, they stop working, if you changed the plugin path in the installer, all the plugins get moved.

Exactly. OneDrive is now becoming the default user files directory and meant for syncing.

I maybe shouldn't have said it was dumb as far as a decision by XLN, given that they have been putting stuff there since before there was the concept of onedrive documents syncing. However what they are using the documents folder for, is much more about authorization and computer specific things that should live in AppData or Program Files. It's an easy fix, simply needs to install these files in one of those places, not a folder that is meant for a users own settings and documents (as the name suggests). Same for NI service center stuff. They have files all over the place, they could easily put that pal file (whatever it is) in another directory. It's super useful to have the other NI user docs shared across computers.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Seems dumb to use a user folder instead of something in program files or appdata for any kind of computer specific app data.

I don't think it's dumb. It's rather not the best strategy to sync that folder with other computers. If anything, I would see OneDrive as a backup, not anything which should sync folders where programs store setting files over several computers.

So, no offense, but, I simply think you are doing the wrong thing. I get it, it's comfortable, but, as you can see, it can be problematic.

I may have to give up on it for now, if nothing else just so that XLN stuff works normally. Hopefully they come around to moving the authorization files though.

[Shinizzle]

I use OneDrive to store all my projects, samples, downloads etc but I don't run anything from there.

[Vocalpoint Studios]

Exactly. OneDrive is now becoming the default user files directory and meant for syncing.

It only looks that way if you turn on the idiotic "Backup important PC Folders to Onedrive" option - which is on by default for most people.

I store finished product on OneDrive as a backup and sync to my main machine - where I send out voiceover deliverables - but there is no place for it within an active recording environment.

In my new DAW build coming in a few weeks - OneDrive will be completely stripped off and I will use Syncback Pro to handle all file movement.

The single best way to get value for OneDrive is to take advantage of the Microsoft disk space while trashing their software and using your own to connect to the cloud.

VP

[Echoes in the Attic]

Exactly. OneDrive is now becoming the default user files directory and meant for syncing.

It only looks that way if you turn on the idiotic "Backup important PC Folders to Onedrive" option - which is on by default for most people.

I store finished product on OneDrive as a backup and sync to my main machine - where I send out voiceover deliverables - but there is no place for it within an active recording environment.

In my new DAW build coming in a few weeks - OneDrive will be completely stripped off and I will use Syncback Pro to handle all file movement.

The single best way to get value for OneDrive is to take advantage of the Microsoft disk space while trashing their software and using your own to connect to the cloud.

VP

Point is, the Documents folder is used for user settings of quite a few audio applications. And when you have that shared between a couple computers, it's great. I love the idea of setting some daw presets or whatever and having it shared and not having to copy things from one to the other. So other than the issues mentioned, where a couple devs are using it for something computer specific like auth files or things that would be best stored in app support or program files or somewhere, the shared documents works great.

[sQeetz]

I have my very sample and project and whatnot on iCloud.